Timeform greyhounds preview and free betting tips: Joe Nordoff selections for weekend action

Sunday's preview and selections

Shrewd call in Silver Salver semis

The Silver Salver continues apace at Central Park with the semi-finals taking centre stage on Sunday following plenty of drama across the first-round heats seven days ago, and here are the trio fancied to land their semi-final heats respectively.

It was hard not to be impressed with SHREWD CALL’s (Trap 3) first round success when landing heat 5 last week. Breaking on terms, John Mullins’ charge showed what has quickly become his customary explosive early pace, putting the race to bed by the first bend and stopping the clock with the joint-fastest time of the rounds.

Lining up in the first semi-final at 7.38, he stands out from a ratings perspective, boasting a Timeform figure of 132, and his main obstacle may be clearing fellow heat winner Druids Brazona (Trap 2, TF 100) who will give the selection something to think about on the run to the first bend if trapping as he did last week. That rival does have plenty to find on the clock however and it's feasible to expect Shrewd Call to pass this test with flying colours and book himself a place in next week’s final (4/1 chance at present for outright glory).

King Drake (Trap 5, TF 116), a low-mileage sort, was another who impressed in making light work of his rivals last week and Liz McNair’s charge can be expected to play a lead role again for all the switch to the orange jacket makes things that little bit trickier. However, on balance it may be worth siding with COOLAVANNY DYLAN (Trap 3) in semi-final two at 8.17, who tops our figures on 127.

The Sheffield raider showed why he has victories such as the Bresmed Northern Sprint on his CV when displaying raw early speed to score from this box last week. It is also feasible to think he can knock a few more spots off the final time he recorded, particularly as he familiarises himself with the contours of the Kent circuit.

Strictly judged on the evidence of last week it is difficult to see GRAYS CUP WINNER (Trap 5, TF 136) reversing his one and a half length defeat at the hands of re-opposing Ballynabee Lucky (Trap 2) when the pair line up for the final heat at 8.54, given he held every chance from the front.

Yet delving a little deeper, the former was having his first competitive outing since November and didn’t take the first bend all that well drawn in trap 3. Nathan Hunt’s charge gave away valuable ground, allowing the latter plenty of room to manoeuvre. Ballynabee Lucky may well find Notouttheway (Trap 1) a difficult hound to break clear from on his inner on this occasion and with the move to orange expected to suit Grays Cup Winner, he may well skip the field out wide with that run seven days ago fancied to have put an edge on him.

Recommended bets: Saturday's action

2pts double Fight The Power (Trap 1) in 6.28 at Hove and King Sheeran (Trap 4) in 9.12 at 3.75/1

Graded racing is of course the bread and butter of our great sport and in truth, admirably got the show back on the road post-lockdown. However, the absence of open racing initially from the schedule left a gaping hole that needed to be filled. Every sport needs it headline acts and greyhound racing is no different.

We witnessed some good quality action on the open race scene towards the backend of last week and in truth it steps up a gear this weekend, with Hove staging Trial Stakes for both the Sussex Cup and Regency.

Sheeran to be king for a day

The first selection at the Brighton venue comes at 6.28 in a race FIGHT THE POWER (Trap 1) is fancied to land.

Okay, his trial exploits have been workmanlike rather than spectacular, yet that is understandable on the back of his enforced absence/lack of course knowledge and crucially they are improving week-by-week. Carol Weatherall’s charge tops the Timeform ratings and holds the aces on the sectional clock by our reckoning, so we’re hopeful he can take full advantage of his draw on the rails inside a slow starter, his chief rival possibly emerging in the shape of Yarmouth raider Massive Ego (Trap 3).

The 9.12 rates comfortably one of the better Sussex Cup Trial Stakes with several high-class operators in the line-up, including KING SHEERAN (Trap 4) who can overcome a tricky draw in the black jacket.

The son of Eden The Kid has returned in good order, capitalising on a gift in A1 company at home track Central Park before impressing on the clock in C&D trials and bringing his trapping boots to the party. Boasting a present Timeform rating of 130 he is narrowly favoured ahead of Antigua Breeze (Trap 6, TF 129) who should also put the pace to the race, and Bockos Doomie who tops our figures on 136 but will need to be sharp at the boxes himself on the comeback trail from the white jacket.

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